Seven wards to close at trust

5th November 2010

The Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital Trust in east London is planning to close the equivalent of seven wards to get back into financial balance.

The trust was given £3.2m earlier this year by NHS London’s challenged trust board to help fund changes which will enable ward closures and has already managed to close one ward by setting up two dedicated elderly care units. The trust said the ward closures had been agreed with local commissioners on the basis that delayed transfers of care were reduced to 1% from the current 5-6%.